United Hearts
by AshleySwift13
Summary: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?
1. Chapter 1: Mistake

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an invisible, shy school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute, and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. I will only put a few lyrics in each chapter, because it'll just waste my time if I put them all. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Mistake

It was a summer's day at Sheffield Institute, and Cornelia and Elyon were enjoying their lunch outside. Cornelia was 16, had blonde hair, and was...well, let's put it this way: unpopular. Her best friend in the whole world, Elyon, had brown hair, and was close to only Cornelia at school. They both shared the same interests, and were inseparable.

Cornelia sighed as she stared up at the blue sky, while taking a bite out of her sandwich. Elyon continued to read her messages that had been sent from Alex – a guy that Elyon had had a crush on ever since the second grade.

"Oh my gosh! Check this out – 'I was hoping that you could meet me at the coffee shop you usually go to. How about after school?' Eek!" Elyon squealed and jumped around playfully. She noticed that her friend wasn't paying attention and snapped her fingers in front of her. Cornelia blinked a couple of times, and said "Huh?" in a dumbfounded tone.

"Cornelia!" Elyon sighed "You're supposed to be giving me advice! What should I reply to him?"

"Um, how about, 'Ok'?" Cornelia grinned at her friend, who rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, you think I'm crazy. I get it." Elyon looked at her friend strangely, and inspected her closely. Cornelia noticed and tried not to giggle.

"Ok, what have I done wrong now?" she joked

"Cornelia...if you don't mind me asking..."

"Go ahead. Shoot." Cornelia grinned widely at her friend.

"Are you still with Peter?"

The question took Cornelia by surprise and she turned expressionless within a few seconds. His name could have that affect on her instantaneously, and she starting concentrating on the ground hard.

"Oh...it's just-" Cornelia was cut off by Elyon.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to "she said, too quickly.

"No, it's fine. We broke up a few days ago. He was...with another girl" she avoided eye contact with Elyon, who's jaw immediately fell to the ground.

"W-WHAT. THAT JERK!" Elyon was about to storm off to find him, to teach him a lesson, when Cornelia grabbed her arm.

"Elyon? No! Please? Just leave it. He's...not worth it." She pleaded and made eye contact with her best friend. Her eyes were watery and she used her other hand to wipe her tear away cruelly.

"Alright, fine. I'll leave him, for now." Elyon steadied her head and looked suspiciously at her friend. "Who was the girl, anyway?"

"Kim...Kim Jones." She was head cheerleader at the Institute, and also one of the snobbiest girls. For this reason, Cornelia disliked her attitude very much.

"You mean – my biology partner? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Elyon glared at the ground, wanting to teach her a lesson. She knew that Cornelia and Peter were dating, and yet she still had the nerve to get in between everything and make things so complicated for them.

"I didn't tell you because...it might have put you off Alex, and made you feel sorry for me. I didn't want to feel like...like a burden to you" she whispered the last part, and she tried to smile to hide her thoughts.

"What? No! I care about you Cornelia." Elyon hugged her "I'm sorry"

Cornelia smiled and shook her head. "Don't be. I'm glad it's over – it was his greatest mistake".

The bell rang for class, and Cornelia groaned and threw her sandwich in a nearby trash can. The principal – Mrs Knickerbocker – walked heavily towards her. She was a rather large woman, who looked around her 40s. _Oh, great, _thought Cornelia. _What did I do now?_

"Miss Hale, you know more than well that eating or drinking outside the cafeteria is prohibited."

"Yes, Principal Knickerbocker. Sorry, it won't happen again" said Cornelia, with gritted teeth.

"Good. I expect your behaviour to be perfect. After all, we have an inspection next week and – oh yes! I just remembered! A transfer student is arriving shortly, possibly tomorrow. As you may or may not be aware, you have been chosen to guide him through his first few weeks at Sheffield Institute. That is, until he is comfortable in our learning."

Cornelia's jaw dropped open at what she just heard._ What did she say? What did I do? I have to get myself out of this._

"That's um, lovely, Principal Knickerbocker, but I have to um try out for the school play tomorrow, and so-" she tried to lie her way out of it, but there was no use. The principal always knew how to work around an excuse.

"Oh, wonderful! You could take Caleb with you, to show him around and get him involved!"

"I'll help out, too, Mrs Knickerbocker! I'm free tomorrow all day, and Cornelia won't mind either!" piped in Elyon, grinning at the thought of helping out.

"That's great, Elyon, excellent thinking. Now, get to class, quickly, come on." Cornelia's mouth dropped open in disbelief. Mrs Knickerbocker handed her a note to give to her teacher, explaining why she was late. The principal nodded at them and walked away, leaving Cornelia feeling furious and Elyon giggling at the scene.

" 'I'll help out too, Mrs Knickerbocker!' "Mocked Cornelia, which resulted in Elyon bursting out laughing in the hallway. A teacher walked past and frowned at them, which made them both stop. Elyon was in fits of laughter, but controlled it with her hand. Cornelia opened the door to her class, showed the note to her teacher, and took her usual place at the back. She took out her algebra book and listened to the teacher explaining some equations on the board.

"_Caleb", huh? How am I supposed to talk to him? He'll probably ditch and hang out with some other guys. Yeah – that's right. He won't stick around with me, anyway. It's not like I'm the only one in the school who can look out for him. Not that he'll want it. Not from me anyway. _Cornelia's thoughts wondered off into space, and she stared out of the window, tired and bored from school. She couldn't wait to graduate high school and start planning her own career – instead of the school planning it for her. Cornelia's thoughts were interrupted by the teacher, who was now standing in front of her. He smacked his fist on the table, causing Cornelia to jump in surprise, and the class to snigger. She blushed in embarrassment, and mumbled "Sorry" to the teacher, who frowned at her. The class was staring at her, and she buried her head in hands, to avoid their stares.

"Miss Hale, can you repeat what I just said?" Cornelia looked up at the teacher, who had his hands on his hips, staring at her intently. Her cheeks were heating up by all the eyes that were set on her face, and she opened her mouth – yet nothing came out but jumbled words.

"I...The first-what you-I mean-" she struggled and put her head down in shame, trying to hide her face with her hands again.

"That's enough, Miss Hale. Go the principal's office." He demanded, which made Cornelia's head shoot up in shock.

"No, sir, I...really, I didn't mean to-"

"Miss Hale! Leave now, before your parents are involved in this!"

She mumbled under her breath, before grabbing her school bag and walking swiftly towards the principal's office. _This is officially the worst day ever. Wait a second...what if this means that I can't be with the new kid tomorrow? _She thought. Cornelia triumphantly knocked on the principal's office and stepped inside.

"Mrs Knickerbocker?" she inhaled before speaking to the principal. "I was sent here for..."

"Our meeting?" Cornelia looked confused at the lady and tilted her head. "About the exchange student? Only I was told that it would be tomorrow. Never mind, sooner the better." The principal smiled and gestured for her to sit down, and Cornelia felt relieved that she didn't have to explain to her about the incident in class.

"Oh, I also forgot to give you this" she handed a paper to Cornelia, which showed Caleb's schedule. "It'll be easier for you to stay with him or find him, if you have a copy of his timetable."

_Great! _Thought Cornelia. _This is just what I need, _she added sarcastically.

"We decided to put him in a lot of your classes, so you're able to keep track."

"Mrs Knickerbocker, if you don't mind me asking this, but why was I chosen to...?"

"Well, you have been involved in many school activities. You have an excellent GPA and an impressive stack of extracurricular activities on your plate." Cornelia felt overwhelmed that the principal found her an exceptional student, and she smiled. _At least one good thing came out of this, _she thought. "It can potentially encourage Caleb to take part. You can influence him greatly and..."

She continued to ramble on about school values and thoughts. Cornelia nodded appropriately, pretending that she was paying attention. Ten minutes had passed in the office, and finally, Mrs Knickerbocker had stopped expressing her love for the school and ambitions for future exchange students and programmes. In this time, she explained to Cornelia that her attention had to be focused on Caleb and making him feel at home. She advised Cornelia to allocate places where they should meet for lunch, etc. Cornelia nodded, though she was thinking it was a waste of time. _It's not as if we'll like each other's company in the first place, _thought Cornelia.

Cornelia was finally let out by the principal, and almost bumped into Elyon.

"What did she say to you?"

"Um...she thought I was here about the new guy. I got this." Cornelia held out the timetable, and Elyon peered at it.

"I wonder what he looks like" she thought

"Probably a combination of a bear and giraffe" said Cornelia sarcastically. Elyon burst out laughing, and they made their way to the school gates.

"Hey, don't you have that date with Alex?" asked Cornelia.

"Oh right! I completely forgot about it!" Elyon blushed in embarrassment, and Cornelia pushed her in the direction of the coffee bar. "What are you doing?"

"YOU are going to go now, and I'm going home to start on our science project" grinned Cornelia.

"Ok, fine. I'll call you after it's over and I'll tell you how it goes!" giggled Elyon. They hugged, and left their separate ways.

Cornelia smiled to herself and walked home quickly. That night, she started planning the project that they both had agreed on, got a call from Elyon who described the date in sharp detail, danced around in her room listening to music and she soon fell fast asleep. Little did she know that tomorrow would be full of surprises.

**Hope you all liked this chapter! I wanted to make it long so it would stop you all from waiting!**

**Ok, as promised, here are the lyrics for Mistake (By Demi Lovato). I think that the chorus suits the part where Cornelia tells Elyon about Peter cheating on her. Here it is:**

**Think you made your greatest mistake  
I'm not gonna call this a break  
Think you really blew it this time  
Think you could walk on such a bad lie  
Won't be taking your midnight calls  
Ignoring the rocks you throw at my wall  
I see it written in your face  
You know you made it  
Your greatest mistake  
**


	2. Chapter 2: Quiet

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. I will only put a few lyrics in each chapter, because it'll just waste my time if I put them all. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Quiet

The next day, Cornelia was woken by her mother screaming from the bottom of the stairs.

"Cornelia, dear, breakfast is nearly over and you're getting really late. Are you feeling ok?"

_Huh?_ _Why didn't my alarm go off?_ She turned to her bedside table. 7:45, it read. Cornelia crashed on her bed and sighed. She gasped, looked at it through a double take, and screamed. _There's only one annoying brat who can pull something like this, _She jumped out of her bed and stomped towards her sister's room – to see Lillian sitting on her bed and talking to her dolls. She saw her sister at the door – her hair was sticking up in all sorts of places.

"LILLIAN!" Cornelia rushed to her sister and tackled her on the bed. Lillian screamed, running towards the door, and bumped into their mother – who looked furious.

"Cornelia! Leave your sister alone!"

"She is NOT my sister. Not after a stunt like that!" Cornelia vented her anger, while Lillian half hid behind her mother, grinning triumphantly. "Ugh!" she ran back to her own room, slamming the door behind her. Mrs Hale sighed and ruffled Lillian's hair.

"Come on, kiddo. I'll drop you off to school."

She ran in the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Cornelia rummaged through her wardrobe and pulled together an outfit – she wore a red dress which had a daisy flower placed on the shoulder. It reached up to her knees, and she topped it off with a pair of cream flats. She messily tied her hair in a ponytail on the side, and grabbed her sunglasses and side bag – jumping all the way to the door.

"No breakfast?" her dad sat at a table in the kitchen, with coffee and a newspaper.

"Um, no, I'm getting late. Bye Dad." She quickly closed the door behind her and stepped out into the sunshine. She ran to school – bumping into Matt on the way.

"Hey Beaut-" he was cut off by the blonde who propelled past him.

"Sorry, Matt. Can't talk, must walk."

"Whoa, someone's in a rush to meet the new guy – if you know what I mean" he winked at her, grinning. She stopped dead in her tracks, and turned around to face him. _That's today?_

"Oh my gosh! I completely forgot about him! Ugh! This is the worst day of my life!" she ran her fingers through her hair, and clicked her fingers all of a sudden. She had an idea.

"Oh, Matt!" she smiled at him and Matt looked confused. "Maybe you could help m-"

"No no and no! I don't even know this guy! It'll be too awkward for both of us" he shook his head at the thought of it. "And besides, you were chosen for it." He was about to walk past her, when she grabbed him by the arm.

"How do you think I feel? Oh, come on." She pleaded him, with her puppy dog eyes. No one could resist the charm that Cornelia had possessed with since the first day of school.

He sighed and scratched the back of his head "Alright, look. I'll look out for him, but there is a condition. I only hang with him at lunch, and YOU can deal with the rest." Cornelia was baffled, but left herself with no choice. _At least this is a step-up, _she thought. She moaned but quickly accepted. "Ok, fine. That works for me." she smiled at him gratefully and gave him a quick hug, before running to school. "Hey!" Matt yelled at her from behind. "Wait for me!" he darted towards Cornelia's direction, who raced him all the way to the school.

"Damn, Blondie, you sure can run" he grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Do NOT call me that. I'm already in a bad mood because of my sister." She pounced back at him with a snide remark, before stepping through the school doors and into her classroom.

She was just about to enter the door, when a stranger bumped into her. Her bag and books fell to the floor, with papers scattered everywhere.

"Hey! Watch were you're going, jerk!" she clumsily stuffed the papers into her bag and stood up. She didn't look up to see who it was, until he tapped her on the shoulder, and held out one of her books that she had left on the ground. "WHAT?" she yelled at him, before realising that they had an audience present at the scene. She turned to see the guy who looked about the same age as her, and who was thick brown hair. He wore a white shirt with dark blue jeans and sneakers. He looked at her confusingly and rather taken back.

"Well, sorry, Miss drama queen! It was an accident, or does the whole world revolve around you all of a sudden?" he smirked at her, which caused her to blush in embarrassment. She glared at him, which caused other students to giggle and stare at the fight. "I don't know who you are, but you are really getting on my nerves. Ever heard of manners?" she retorted and scoffed at him, which made his expression turn even more deadly. "Ever heard of 'I don't care'?"

They were so close to each other, that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

They glared at each other for a moment, before turning away and stomping in the other direction.

_I'm so glad that's over, _she thought to herself, before flopping down into her usual seat in class.

After Cornelia's class was over, the teacher called her to the front of the room. _I didn't do anything wrong this time, _she thought.

"Cornelia, the principal wanted to see you after my lesson ended, so you may leave now."

_Oh, I hope this isn't about the new guy,_ she groaned. She walked down the hall to the principal's office and in the room sat Mrs Knickerbocker and – she suddenly froze at the door, as she caught a glimpse of the new guy. _He looks exactly like – _her thoughts were cut off by the principal.

"Cornelia, this is Caleb – the transfer student. You can take him to his next class, which is the same as yours – Science, I think."

Caleb turned around from his seat, to see the same blonde that had bumped into him in the hallway. They shot glares at each other, which seemed oblivious to the principal. They seemed quiet in her presence, neither of them wanted to get into any trouble, and so they stayed quiet. She looked away, preventing herself from an outburst of anger. _Why him? Why now? I will __not__ look out for him. Ever. _

"Right, well, you best be off. Cornelia, take Caleb to his class. I expect you to be a good model in his presence. Good luck on your first day" she smiled and Caleb smiled back at her. Cornelia moaned in silence, and stepped out of the door. Caleb soon followed and he shot a glare at her.

"Why did it have to be you? Why?" whined Cornelia.

"Hey, do I look any happier than you are? No, I don't" he shot back and she hung her head, while leading him to his first class. She was in front of him, and he glanced at her. Her hair was radiant, even out of the sun, and her dress looked perfect on her. Caleb realised that he was thinking about her, and blushed unknowingly. _What am I doing? I don't like her; _he thought and shook his head. Cornelia turned around to see Caleb thinking hard about something.

"Are you...ok?" she looked at him as if he had lost his mind, and her comment was meant to be cold – not polite. He frowned at her. At this point, Cornelia noticed his facial features. His eyes were round and bright – a light green colour and his hair was glowing a dark shade of brown. She realised that she was staring at him, and blushed – but quickly turned around so he couldn't see. _What am I thinking of? _She questioned her own mind and stood outside the door to their science room.

"Ok, we have chemistry" she turned to look at him, and his face seemed confused.

"WHAT! What are you saying?" he stepped back and his face went red.

"What? I'm talking about Science, you idiot!" she looked at him disgustingly, and rolled her eyes. Caleb's face went even redder, and she couldn't help but grin at his clumsiness, and tried not to laugh. They both started laughing together, and she suddenly had the urge to say something to him.

"You're not that bad. I was overreacting earlier." She shook her head and looked down to the ground. There was silence between them, before Caleb spoke up.

"Yeah, me too I guess." He glanced at her, and smiled. _Wow, I can't believe I didn't notice how-_ his thoughts were cut off by the blonde girl who now looked at him seriously.

"Ok, so we have Mr Jackson for Science. He's not that bad. Come on, let's go" she walked in front of him and opened the door. The class looked in their direction and the teacher walked towards them both.

"Cornelia, I see we have a new student"

"Yeah, Sir, his name's Caleb. Caleb..." she looked at Caleb to answer.

"Caleb Hart" he smiled politely, and took a seat at the front that the teacher pointed to.

"Well, we're in the middle of an experiment so you can join any group you want to. Cornelia, get started with Elyon on the experiment."

Cornelia sulked and hung her head while walking towards her best friend. Elyon didn't look up, but immediately sensed her friend's presence. "Hey, how are things?" she didn't look up from the flask that contained some yellow substance, and held it towards the light. She inspected it closely with her goggles, and added a piece of metal to it. It began to fizz and she pressed a timer on it, while putting it on a placer. She looked up at Cornelia who had her hands on her hips and was grinning.

"Ok, Science geek. Are you done now?" Elyon giggled at her friend.

"Why were you late, and didn't you have to-" she was cut off by an unfamiliar voice to her which said "Cornelia". She was surprised and turned to see Caleb, who was smiling at them both.

"Oh, um, Elyon this is Caleb. Caleb, Elyon" she introduced them to each other and they smiled.

"So you're the transfer student?" she asked, looking at him approvingly. Cornelia noticed and turned her attention to the experiment, trying to look uninterested.

"Um, yeah. I'm from out of town." He scratched the back of his head and turned his attention to Cornelia, who was now looking up at him. "Can I be in your group?"

Without waiting for Cornelia to reply, Elyon quickly answered. "Yeah, sure!" she said too quickly, which made Cornelia roll her eyes. Caleb chuckled, and his and Cornelia's eyes met. They looked at each other, both feeling confused at what they were doing. Caleb broke his gaze off and clapped his hands together. "Well then, I think we should get moving." Elyon noticed that something was going on between her best friend and the hunk, so she pulled Cornelia aside and whispered to her.

"What's going on?" Elyon whispered to her

"What? What happened?" she asked confusingly.

"Well, you keep looking into his eyes. Do you-?" she was cut off by Cornelia who scoffed at her nervously.

"What? Are you crazy? I don't like him!" she said it a bit too loudly, and Caleb heard her. He glanced at her before telling the teacher he had to go get some fresh air. Cornelia was frozen, because she noticed how she had made him feel uncomfortable. She sneaked out when Mr Jackson had his back turned, and ran after him. His hands were digging in his pockets and he hung his head in hurt. Cornelia felt guilty and ran in front of him, giving him no choice but to stop.

"Caleb, I-"

"No, Cornelia. I get it. I know you don't like me, but you didn't have to make me look like an idiot!" he exploded and threw his hands in the air. For the first time, Cornelia didn't retort but stared into his eyes – she felt sorry for what she said. She realised that he didn't hate her either, and they stood there staring at each other. The silence around them felt heavy and loud, ironically. Cornelia felt she couldn't take it, and snapped out of their gaze.

"I...I'm sorry. It's not that I don't like you. Actually, I..." she looked up from the ground, and the silence started again. Neither of them decided to end it, so they walked back to class. Caleb said nothing to her since he exploded earlier. When they entered the room, Elyon was surprised to see the look on both faces. Caleb looked upset, yet showed no emotion. Cornelia looked distressed, and sat down next to her friend.

"Wh-what happened with you-" Cornelia cut her off, with a weak voice.

"Let's get back to work" she mumbled, looking at the ground. Caleb was on the other side of the room and decided to work with the guys, who invited him over. He nodded at them and looked at the work. His gaze diverted to Cornelia who was staring out the window, she looked out in pain. She sighed and her head suddenly caught eye of Caleb. Cornelia quickly looked away, while Caleb sighed and looked at the ground.

_I hate this, _he thought.

**Hope you all liked this chapter! I wanted to make it long so it would stop you all from waiting!**

**As promised, here are the lyrics to Quiet (by Demi Lovato). It makes me think about the silence between Cornelia and Caleb. The chorus seems the best, in my opinion, so here it is:**

**It's much too quiet in here  
I want to disappear  
I'm hearing myself thinking too clear  
It's too quiet in here  
Make it all go away  
Why can't we break this silence  
Finally**


	3. Chapter 3: Hold my hand

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. I will only put a few lyrics in each chapter, because it'll just waste my time if I put them all. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Hold my hand

Yesterday had proved to be a very difficult day for both Cornelia and Caleb. They were frustrated at each other, and tried to avoid one another at every chance they got except when Mrs Knickerbocker was around. Cornelia couldn't come to terms that she had almost confessed to Caleb about her feelings for him. _What did I want to say to him? I...I don't even know if I like him or not. I mean, he's difficult and unreasonable. But I do like that gleam in his eyes, his sweet smile and-wait what am I saying? I don't like him!_

She was thinking about him all the way to school and found Elyon talking to him at the school gates. _Oh, crap. I cannot let him see me now! _Cornelia held her head down, and used her long, golden hair to cover her face. She quickened her pace and was about to pass them, when Elyon called her name.

"Cornelia!" she froze and flipped her hair out of her face, surprised. Cornelia jumped slightly, and walked over to where Elyon stood with Caleb. Their eyes met for a moment, until he looked out into the distance, ignoring her presence. "Hey, what's wrong?" Elyon looked at her friend, worriedly, and Caleb sneered at her comment. "Oh, right, because Cornelia's so innocent that she can't be put at blame for anything, right?". His words stung Cornelia and she looked at him, glaring at his cold attitude. Elyon was about to speak up, but was interrupted by Cornelia.

"I didn't mean what I said!" she was frustrated now, and she placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh, right right...then why did you say it? Am I that bad or something? Geez...you're one crazy, obnoxious girl, do you know that? It's always about you, isn't it? Well, I don't care."

"If you don't care, then why are you still here?" she crossed her arms, ignoring Elyon who felt uncared for. There was a silence between them both, when Caleb finally spoke up.

"You're right. I shouldn't be." He turned around and took a few steps, before turning to his side. "Oh and I'll find someone else to show me around the school." he turned back around and went straight to the basketball court, where Matt and the other guys were playing.

Cornelia groaned in anger and turned to Elyon who seemed baffled and confused.

"What was that about?" she asked Cornelia

"It was Caleb acting like a...a jerk!" she half yelled, causing Elyon to jump in surprise.

"Whoa, Corny. Just ignore him, ok?" she suggested "If he makes you feel angry, block him out."

Cornelia turned to her friend "So you're telling me to do all this, and what about him? He shouldn't have started it, you know." She felt her blood boil, but let it go and entered homeroom after the bell went off.

Caleb was sitting in homeroom, thinking about Cornelia. _She's so...stubborn and spoilt. She drives me crazy with her feisty attitude! Her words, the way she dresses, her eyes, her-wait, what am I saying? I will never like this girl! She's so-_the bell for the next lesson cut him off, and he made his way to Math. _Well, at least she won't be in my class...hopefully. _He entered the room to see Cornelia reading a math book. She hadn't noticed his presence, but was shocked when all the girls started talking and whispering about the new guy.

"He's so dreamy!" whispered Alchemy, who sat behind Cornelia. After hearing this, Cornelia scoffed and shook her head.

"You won't call him that after spending 15 seconds with him" she joked, Alchemy ignored her.

"What was that?" ridiculed Caleb. He heard her voice from a few feet away and moved closer to her. He held his hand near his ear, making fun of her. She stood up and glared at him.

"I was talking to Alchemy, actually. There is no need to interrupt me so rudely." She said in a matter-of-fact tone, which caused Caleb to glare at her. She evilly grinned at him, and took her seat. He turned around and pulled his seat out in anger. It made a loud banging noise, and everyone turned to see the brown haired boy with his head in his hands.

Cornelia felt a sudden urge to apologise to him, but held it in. _Whatever, _she thought.

"Ok, class. I have got your grades from last year, and they are all finalised." His gaze landed on Caleb, and the teacher remembered about the transfer student. "Don't worry, um..."

"Caleb. Caleb Hart.

"Don't worry, Caleb, we'll get you started in no time."

The teacher handed out the grades, and stopped at Cornelia's desk. "Cornelia...see me at the end of the lesson." She gulped and nodded her head, nervously. _Ugh, if it wasn't for that amazing summer sale, I would have had time to revise and practise my Math,_ she thought.

The lesson soon ended, and Cornelia stood up to see the teacher. "Cornelia, your test has slipped by two grades. You started with an A, and now you're at a C. What do you have to say for yourself?"

She was about to reply, when the teacher interrupted her.

"We have another test in three months. By then, I expect your grade to be exceptional. If not, I will contact your parents. This is very concerning, and we don't want a bright student to fail at a golden opportunity." She nodded, and took a few steps back, before accidently bumping into Caleb.

"Wow, for the first time, miss perfect needs help!

"Stay out of this, Caleb. I'm not in the mood." She didn't look him in the eye, and walked out of the room slowly.

"Relax, I was kidding, Blondie." He grinned at her, and walked beside her.

"I don't care and DON'T call me that." She fastened her pace and left him standing in the corridor, feeling confused.

At the end of the day, Cornelia got out of her final classroom and saw a young girl picking up her books from the floor. Cornelia decided to help her and picked up a few books.

"Here you go" she smiled at her and the girl stood up to see who had helped her. The girl had light brown hair, and brown eyes. She wore a cute frilly dress and had her hair in two braids. She smiled at Cornelia. "Um...thank you. I'm Alice.

"Awesome. I'm Cornelia Hale." The girl looked at her watch and was about to walk off, when Cornelia called her name. "Hey, you left this!" she picked up a piece of paper with a sketch of a castle and a beautiful landscape. "Wow, you drew this?

"Yeah, I love art. It's my passion" the girl grinned at Cornelia.

"Awesome. I love ice-skating and sketching, too!

"Hey, maybe we could hang out and draw stuff together!" the girl smiled at Cornelia, but her grin fell when she saw the look on Cornelia's face.

"I'd love to, Alice, but I have to get a Math tutor. I need to get a good grade in the test in a few months."

"Hmm...Well, my brother might be able to help you. He got straight A's in all his Math tests."

"Wow! Really? But...I don't think he'll want me to turn up straight away." Cornelia shook her head, and Alice nodded slightly in agreement.

"Well, how about I ask him tonight? And, you could come over now so we could show each other our art skills!" Alice grinned at her, and Cornelia thought about it in her head.

"Well, I mean I guess I could she was cut off by Alice pulling her towards her house.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" laughed Cornelia, as she walked back with the girl.

They arrived at Alice's house fairly quickly, and entered the large doors. Cornelia felt as if she had just stepped into a Castle, with a chandelier and spiral staircase. The room lit up with the different colours like red, black and blue. Her footsteps echoed as she walked through the living room, to the kitchen. Alice held her arm and took her into the kitchen where a lady was standing there, pouring drinks in a glass.

"Hey, Mom. This is my friend, Cornelia. We're just going to practise our Art for a bit and hang out."

She smiled approvingly at Cornelia, and they shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you." Cornelia greeted her politely.

"Likewise, Cornelia." She beamed at her manners and hugged her daughter.

"Well, why don't you girls head upstairs and I'll bring over some snacks in a while?

"That's great. Thank you." Cornelia smiled and was pulled away by Alice, who dragged her upstairs.

Alice's room was amazing. It was mostly light pink and silver. Her bed looked like it was fit for a princess, and her furniture looked expensive and luxurious.

"Wow, your room is amazing!" Cornelia complimented her, stretching her arms in surprise.

"Thanks. I picked everything out myself!" Alice winked at her, and took out a large pink box from under her bed. She opened it using a key that was on a necklace which she wore, and revealed a new looking set of paints, brushes, sketch pads, colours, and water colours.

"Whoa." Cornelia was amazed by Alice's rich lifestyle, and her eyes gleamed.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!"

They spent the next few hours drawing, laughing and eating snacks. Alice told Cornelia that she would be back soon, and left to go to the bathroom. Cornelia decided to help Alice put her things away, so she placed all her art materials in the box under her bed. She got up and sat on the bed. Her back was turned to the door, and so when it opened, she didn't bother to look up.

"Hey, Alice. Check out this drawing that I-"

She turned to face her friend, and held out the painting, but stopped. At the door, stood a rather confused looking Caleb, whose jaw dropped to the ground.

"YOU!" they both screamed in unison and Cornelia pointed her finger towards him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" they both yelled at each other at the same time, as a bewildered Alice entered the room.

"Uh, how about 'I live here'?" he frowned, and Cornelia gasped.

"Caleb! Leave my friend alone, and get out of my room while you're at it!" Alice rushed inside and Cornelia grinned at him in victory, and he shot a glare at her.

"Friend? More like cunning blonde who treats everyone coldly!"

"I only treat YOU coldly because you're a selfish know-it-all, isn't that right?"

Alice interrupted them, feeling rather confused at the situation. "Wait, you guys know each other?"

"Yeah, unfortunately." Caleb muttered under his breath, while Cornelia stormed up to him.

"Excuse me?" she was about to slap him across his face, but he held her arm tightly in front of him. They gawked at each other, and Cornelia struggled to get Caleb's firm grip off her arm.

"Caleb! Get off! You're hurting me! Ow, my bracelet!" instead, he ignored her and laughed, continuously pressing her bracelet into her arm.

"Ow, Caleb!" she pulled back and the beads from her bracelet scattered across the floor. She gasped, eyes wide open, and ran out of the room in tears.

"Cornelia!" Alice yelled after her, but was too late. Cornelia locked the bathroom door and faint sobs could be heard from the door.

"Geez, it was only a bracelet." He mumbled under his breath.

"It was NOT just a bracelet!" retorted Alice. Before she could continue, he rudely commented back.

"Girls." He rolled his eyes, but soon cut it short after the sad look on his younger sister's face.

"Her grandma gave it to her before she...died" she whispered the last part, before picking up the pieces from the floor. Caleb's face shot up, and his turned to guilt immediately. _God, what have I done?_

He made his way to the outside of the bathroom, where Cornelia still had the door locked. He knocked on the door, without saying anything, and heard her jump a little.

"Sorry, I'm coming" she said miserably, which made Caleb's heart sink. She quickly opened the door and smiled, before realising it was Caleb, and then showed no emotion. She was about to shut the door back on his face, when he put his foot between the door. She still tried to close it, and Caleb yelped.

"Cornelia!" his face looked hurt. "I'm sorry...I didn't know that-"

"Whatever, Caleb. Move out of my way" there was no anger in her voice, only pain. She moved past him, but he grabbed her hand and she turned to face him.

"Please listen to me. I didn't mean to hurt you. I he stopped after noticing the tear that was leaping down her face, and he soothed her hand. She turned to her side, trying to avoid him seeing her in this state. She pulled her hand away sharply, and buried her face in her hands. She silently cried, and was surprised when Caleb pulled her in for a hug. She didn't reject it, and only let her emotions flow.

She was in his arms for a few minutes, and he stroked her hair, trying to comfort her.

"I'm sorry...Shh, it's alright..." he tried to calm her down, and finally, she looked up at him. Neither of them realised that they were so close together for the first time, because they both felt at ease in each other's arms. He smiled sweetly at her, and he looked into her watery blue eyes. She stopped crying, and held onto him. Their faces moved closer, only inches apart, when they were interrupted by a door opening and closing. Alice stood there, feeling bad for Cornelia.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll just lea Alice was about to turn around and go into her room, when Cornelia shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I was just leaving." Cornelia gave her a watery grin, before looking up at Caleb. She didn't smile at him she only stared into his eyes.

"I, uh, got it all together. It might not look the same once it's fixed, but Alice held most of the beads in her hand, along with the chain.

Cornelia looked at it, feeling rather uneasy and quickly replied. "No, I'll fix it myself."

"I'll give it to you tomorrow at school." Alice walked towards Cornelia and hugged her, while walking her towards the door. Caleb followed them quietly, feeling speechless at the whole thing. He never thought, out of all people, Cornelia was sensitive.

"Shall I call someone to take you home or...?" Alice suggested to her, but Cornelia shook her head.

"No, I I'm f-fine." She was halfway out the door, when Caleb finally spoke up.

"I'll take you home." It felt more like a statement rather than a suggestion, and Cornelia shook her head. Cornelia didn't feel like arguing and ignored him. "See you, Alice." She said it quietly, her voice shaky. She quickly walked out before anyone could say anything.

Outside, Cornelia let the tears flow. She was alone and was able to show how she felt without holding back. She walked a few steps, before making her way to the park, only a couple of minutes away from Alice's house. She sat on the bench, and closed her eyes. A few seconds passed before she heard someone call her name from behind.

"Cornelia?

The voice made her feel so many emotions at once: hurt, anger, sadness, and guilt. She didn't turn, but after realising who it was, she got up and walked further away from it.

"Hold up!" she heard footsteps behind her, someone was running and she quickened her pace. She finally gave up and turned to be face to face with Caleb. He looked tired and out of breath, but he forgot about all that once he was closer to Cornelia.

"I wanted to see if you were ok." He said it with a caring tone, which surprised Cornelia, but she continued to ignore him.

"Come on, Cornelia! I hate being ignored by you!" he realised what he had just admitted, and blushed. Cornelia looked at him, and turned around. They both blushed, and Caleb scratched the back of his head something he would do whenever feeling nervous.

"I...I know what I did was wrong. I should have listened to you, and...Been nicer to you. Will you forgive me?" he looked into her eyes, and smiled at her hopefully. She stared back, confused at the conversation they were having. Caleb held her hand and played with her fingers. They each felt a spark, but stayed silent for a long time. Cornelia's face was expressionless throughout, even when Caleb started walking her out of the park. He questioned her about the direction towards her home, and she only replied with a nod or by shaking her head. They were still holding hands, once Caleb had walked Cornelia to her door. A small smile appeared on her face towards Caleb, and she turned to face her door, rummaging through her bag for her keys. He stood there, waiting for her to leave his hands digging into his pocket and his head facing the ground. Cornelia glanced up at him after finally opening her door and mumbled "Thanks."

"No problem." He replied, feeling tense. The thoughts of them holding hands were racing in his head, and he felt confused about their relationship. She was about to close the door, when Caleb felt the urge to do something.

"Wait." He said it fast and louder than before, and Cornelia opened the door wide, to see Caleb's face only a few inches away from hers. He kissed her on the cheek softly, and smiled at her, before walking quickly away from the house. She was taken off guard and her sudden reaction was to close the door, lean on it and smile to herself.

**Hope you all liked this chapter! I wanted to make it long so it would stop you all from waiting!**

**As promised, here are the lyrics that I decided to put at the end of this particular moment:**

'**Cause when it gets dark **

**and when it gets cold **

**we hold each other **

**till we see the sunlight.**

So if you just hold my hand, baby, I promise that I'll do all I can  
Things will get better if you just hold my hand  
Nothing can come between us if you just hold, 

**hold my, hold, hold my, hold my hand, hold my hand.**


	4. Chapter 4: Falling for you

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. I will only put a few lyrics in each chapter, because it'll just waste my time if I put them all. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4: Falling for you

The next day, Cornelia woke up surprisingly early. She calmly got ready for school, and stepped out of her house into the unusually windy morning. _I should've got my jacket, _she thought. She looked down at her flowery shirt and white Capri pants, and sighed. Cornelia shivered and slowly walked to school. She was a few blocks away, when a familiar figure appeared in front of her. He smiled, and took off his jacket.

"C-Caleb." She was surprised by his sudden appearance, that she stuttered, however, it was also to do with the cold. He smiled at her warmly.

"I thought you could use this." He placed his warm leather jacket around her, and walked beside her in silence on the way to school. "So...how are you feeling?" his hands were in his pockets, and he looked up at her with a hopeful look on his face.

"Good...you?" it felt unusual for Cornelia to be having a decent conversation with him, considering how they had only fought a few days ago.

"I'm fine."

They finally reached the school and Cornelia was just about to take off the jacket when Caleb stopped her. "Don't worry, you can borrow it today."

"But what about-"

"Don't worry its fine. I don't need it." Before she could accept it, he smiled at her and walked away. She followed his footsteps with her eyes, and was startled to see Elyon standing next to her.

"Oh, gosh! You scared me!" Cornelia playfully slapped her friend's arm and they hugged.

"Oh, cool jacket. Where'd you get it?" Elyon traced the leather with her fingers.

Cornelia didn't know what Elyon's reaction would be if she found out that it belonged to the same guy that would always fight with her. "It belongs to...Caleb. He let me borrow it for the day." She looked up to see Elyon gaze at her in astonishment. _Caleb? The same guy that she didn't want to know, only a few days ago?_

Elyon felt that it was her chance to talk about him. "So, you guys are ok with each other, now? Wow! What made everything so...peaceful?" Cornelia explained about her grandma's bracelet, Caleb walking her home (minus the kiss) and how they walked to school together.

Elyon giggled at what she said, which made Cornelia feel confused. All of a sudden, Elyon started mocking Cornelia and Caleb.

"Caleb and Cornelia, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes-" she sang it quietly, in case someone heard them and Cornelia rolled her eyes.

"Very funny, El. Actually, he's...not so bad." Cornelia smiled and started walking towards homeroom, as Elyon kept up with her.

"What? Just a few days ago, you wished you never met him!"

"I know but...I didn't really know him as much." She sat down and thought about Caleb.

_I can't believe something like my grandma's bracelet could make Caleb be...nicer to me. Did he really kiss me, or was it just my imagination? He probably felt sorry for me – wait a minute. I guess that's why he kissed me! It didn't mean __anything__ at all. That's should be great but...why do I feel heartbroken? I can't possibly like the same guy who would only argue with me a few days ago. I-"_

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone buzzing in class. She turned to see if the teacher had heard it, but he was too caught up with all his paperwork. She took it out of her pocket and read a text message from Elyon. They had different homerooms, so Elyon texted Cornelia as they had no other way to talk to each other. The conversation went like this:

**Elyon: I was wondering if you wanted to come to my place after school. Science project, 4:30?**

**Cornelia: Sorry I don't feel up to it. Tomorrow?**

**Elyon: Deal. See you there.**

Cornelia turned her phone off and stood to get out of homeroom. She made her way to next period – Math. _Oh, shoot! I forgot to find a tutor! _She walked through the door with her head down, trying to avoid the teacher. "Ah, Cornelia!" she turned to see the teacher standing near the desk. "I hope you've taken the opportunity to get some help with your Math?"

"Mhm...I'm still looking for a tutor" she replied quietly, before taking her seat at the back of the class.

Caleb stood only a few feet away, talking to some guys. He walked towards Cornelia and sat down on the desk in front of her. She didn't look up to see him, and instead opened her Math book to study. There was silence between them, until Caleb spoke.

"Do you need help with your Math? I could tutor you if you like."

"Um, no. I'm fine...thanks."

She remembered about the jacket he lent her and got it from behind her chair, handing it to him.

"Are you sure you don't need it?"

"Yeah I'm sure."

He was about to walk away when Cornelia stood up. He turned around to be face to face with the blonde girl. "Caleb, why are you being so nice to me?" her tone was hushed, so only the two of them could hear. She took him by surprise, and he moved closer to her. She looked down at the ground, unable to make eye contact with him. "Because I...look, Cornelia there's something I have to say..."

"Alright, class. Take your seats." The teacher interrupted them, and Caleb quickly moved back to his seat. Before sitting down, he turned to see Cornelia once more, and then turned around.

Math class passed by very slowly for Cornelia. She still hadn't gotten an answer from Caleb. All through the class, the same thought was going through her head. Little did she know, that Caleb was thinking the exact same thing.

The bell rang for the end of the day, and Cornelia gathered her things. She was the only one left in the class, and she trudged along the hallways. She spotted Alice a few feet away from her, and she waved before turning to go down the stairs.

"Wait, Cornelia! Have you found a Math tutor yet?" Alice grinned at her.

"No, but I'll go see if Elyon knows anyone that can-"

"Forget that. Why don't you come around my place and Caleb can-" this time, Alice was cut off.

"Sorry, but I...can't." Cornelia shook her head and looked at her shoes.

"Why not?" this time, the voice neither belonged to Alice or Cornelia. They both turned to see Caleb walking in their direction. Cornelia was about to walk away, when Caleb held onto her arm.

"Cornelia, I'm sorry. How long will it take for you to forgive me?" she pulled her arm away, and turned to Alice.

"Caleb, just lea-" Alice started, but Caleb cut her short.

"No! Cornelia, I won't leave until you let me make it up to you. What do you say?"

The blonde turned her head to Caleb, Alice and finally Caleb. She shrugged and finally replied to him. "Yeah, I guess...I'll see you there." She was still looking at the ground and spoke softly at him.

"Great. I've just got a few things to sort out with the guys, and I'll be there at around...5:00. See you later, sis. Bye Cornelia." He smiled at her and walked away.

Alice giggled and Cornelia turned to her.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. But...I think my brother might have a thing for you." Alice winked at her

"What? You're crazy, little girl." Cornelia joked. _It can't be. I mean, if he did like me, he would've sade something, and he wouldn't have started all those fights with me. _

"Are you kidding? Haven't you ever read gossip magazines? A guy always tries to tease the girl he likes, which sounds like Caleb taunting you. He's trying to get your attention!" Alice waved her arms in the air, and Cornelia let out a nervous laugh.

"Hahaha, ok, whatever! Maybe the reason why I don't read gossip magazines, is because...oh, I don't know, because they're GOSSIP magazines?" Cornelia ridiculed Alice before they walked out of the school. She decided to listen to music, so put on her headphones and walked with Alice to Alice's house. One of her favourite songs came on: Fallin' for you by Colbie Caillat.

**I'm trying  
not to tell you  
But I want to  
I'm scared of what you'll say  
so I'm hiding what I'm feeling  
but I'm tired of  
holding this inside my head**

**I've been spending all my time  
Just thinking about you  
I don't know what to do  
I think I'm fallin' for you  
I've been waiting all my life  
and now I found you  
I don't know what to do  
I think I'm fallin' for you  
I'm fallin' for you**

**Oh I just can't take it  
my heart is racing  
the emotions keep spinning out**

Cornelia hummed the tune, and they finally arrived at Alice's house. They walked through the door, and no one was inside. It felt awfully quiet inside, and they headed straight for the kitchen.

"So...you won't mind me asking you something?" Alice looked at Cornelia, feeling nervous. Cornelia smiled and shook her head.

"Of course not. Go ahead."

"Do...do you like Caleb?"

Cornelia stopped fiddling with her bag and looked up at Alice. She looked at her for a long time before slowly replying. "He's...ok – I suppose. Why?"

"Oh...nothing. Just." She shrugged and continued to make a sandwich for herself. Cornelia sat at the table and was day dreaming. Her thoughts turned to Caleb and how he was acting around her. She was confused about her feelings for him. _What if I am...starting to like him? Wait, what am I saying? I – ugh, this is so confusing! _

Alice noticed the hurtful look on Cornelia's face "Cornelia, I didn't mean-"

"Do you think I do?" Cornelia turned to face her

"What?"

"Do you...think I like...Caleb?" she said it slowly with some confidence in her voice.

"Uh, I don't know. I mean you guys do seem pretty-"

Just then, Caleb entered the door. He looked as if he'd been running, and blushed when he saw Cornelia sitting on the table, looking at him confusingly.

"I...decided to come...early. The guys...went to play...basketball." he puffed in between words, and Alice laughed.

"Aw! And he decided to stay and help Corny with her math, instead!"

Cornelia looked up from the table and glanced at them when she heard her name. She shook her head and turned to face Caleb.

"You didn't have to..."

"Don't worry. I...I wanted to, actually." He gave her a small smile before heading to the kitchen where Cornelia was sitting. He smiled at her and said "Shall we start?"

Caleb led Cornelia to his bedroom, and closed the door behind them. His room was really big. He had a large desk next to his bed, and posters of football teams on his wall. He had a shelf of trophies, and papers scattered across the top. He looked around and grinned sheepishly at Cornelia, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, sorry for...the mess" he gestured with his arms around the room, but Cornelia only smiled at him. _I guess he really is trying to be nice..._

She shook her head and replied "No, its fine." They sat down on the desk next to each other and Cornelia took out her Math book. "So..." she tried to make small talk with him "Have you always been great at math?"

"Not really. But I try my best. You think I'm great?" he turned to her and grinned. She slapped him playfully on the arm and smirked back. "Don't try and get any ideas, nerd." They laughed and continued to work on Math. Halfway through a question, Cornelia pouted and bit her lip. _She's so cute when she's frustrated, _he thought. She turned to him, and sulked. He sighed and finished off the rest of the question, to Cornelia's delight. A few hours passed, and Cornelia put her head down on the desk, half asleep. Caleb was too busy texting on his phone, to realise that Cornelia had dozed off on his desk. He turned to see her, and smiled warmly at himself. He moved her hair gently out of her face, and she smiled, her eyes still closed.

"Cornelia?" He shook her gently, and whispered. She mumbled and turned the other way. He chuckled and got up. "Ok, you leave me no choice." He tickled her around the hips and she shot up, knocking over the math books. She stumbled across his room as he chased her – laughing hysterically. "Caleb!" she screamed playfully, unable to stop laughing. She crashed on his bed and lay there for a few seconds before getting up – to be face to face with him.

"Caleb! You..." she was about to continue, but was distracted by the gleam in his eyes.

"Yes?" he flirted with her which made her blush. _Curse his god damn good looks, _yelled Cornelia, in her head.

"Uh...nothing. I just...need to get home." She smiled and picked up her book and put it in her bag. He nodded and walked her to her house. Alice was in her room, getting ready for school, so Cornelia didn't bother saying bye to her. Instead, she walked with Caleb to her house. He remembered the address somehow, and they both stood outside the doorway.

"Um...thanks." she finally said

"For what?" Caleb replied

"For...helping me." Cornelia smiled at him

"Uh..." this time, he was lost in her eyes and was unable to finish his sentence, or move.

"Well, I better get inside. Bye, Caleb." She turned around, and left him star struck, still standing in the same position. He turned around smiling, and shook his head.

_Cornelia Hale, I might be falling for you..._

**Hope you all liked this chapter! I wanted to make it long so it would stop you all from waiting!**

**Feel free to leave improvements/comments/reviews and whatever you like! Any suggestions? Sorry that I'm not leaving previews or anything, I'm just making this up as I go along. Stay tuned for next chapter! **

**I'm not really sure when I update chapters to be honest, but it's mostly everyday or every two days.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5: You belong with me

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. I will only put a few lyrics in each chapter, because it'll just waste my time if I put them all. Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: You belong with me

It was a Saturday morning and Cornelia slept in until 10am. She got out of bed, and her pink silky night dress dropped down to her sides. Her hair was in a side braid, and she stepped into her silver ugg boots. She slowly made her way to the bathroom, and then to the kitchen.

"Good morning!" her mother sat at the table and drank her coffee, while reading a magazine.

"Hey" Cornelia replied and sat on the table with a glass of orange juice, and a piece of toast. She munched on her breakfast, and then walked back upstairs to get changed. She dressed into a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a light blue flowery top. She wore sandals, and carried a red side bag with her.

"Going somewhere?" her mother asked, looking up from her magazine.

"Yeah, I thought I'd go see Elyon for a while. We have a science project due in two weeks."

"Sure, go ahead. Be back for dinner!" her mother yelled, as Cornelia shut the door behind her.

She made her way to Elyon's house, in the warm weather. She walked past a young couple holding hands and whispering in each other's ears and she smiled once they had walked past. _I can't help but think of Caleb. I don't know what it is; I just want to...see him?_

Before she realised, Cornelia was already outside Elyon's house and knocking on her door. A very sleepy Elyon answered the door. She was wearing her strawberry pyjamas, and her two braids were sticking up on each side. She yawned and her eyes were half closed. Cornelia giggled.

"Wow, Elyon! Don't you look amazing today?" she joked

"Cut it out, Cornelia! Why did you come so early?" Elyon groaned

"Uh, it's nearly eleven am. I wonder what you were up to last night..."Cornelia winked at her

"Babysitting Andrew – my nine year old cousin." She scratched her head and dragged Cornelia up to her room. Elyon's mom walked past, with a basket of laundry, and Cornelia smiled at her.

"Good morning, Mrs Brown."

"Good morning, Cornelia. How are you?"

"I'm great thanks. How are you?"

"Fine." She smiled at Cornelia and walked past. Cornelia grinned at her and then entered Elyon's room. There were clothes scattered across the floor, her bed was still a mess and papers and books cluttered her desk. Cornelia chuckled at her.

"Wow, I see you've cleaned up today" she mocked, and fell back to sit on a chair. Elyon crashed on her bed and put her duvet over her head. Cornelia sighed and moaned at her.

"Elyon! We're supposed to start on our project! I've planned it out and-"

Elyon jokingly snored loudly and Cornelia burst into laughter. She then opened her eyes widely and shot out of bed.

"Oh my gosh! I totally forgot!" Elyon screamed, causing Cornelia to jump up in her seat.

"Let me guess. Alex did something amazing and you-" she was cut off by Elyon shaking her shoulders rapidly.

"We had a council meeting at school yesterday and...I'm not supposed to tell you this but..." Cornelia gave her a peculiar look and moved closer.

"WE'RE HAVING A SCHOOL DANCE!" Elyon squealed and jumped around her room.

"Wow, great way to keep it a secret. Shouting at the top of your voice really keeps it at a...low profile" mocked Cornelia. She chuckled and spun around in the chair. Elyon stared at her with a shocked expression.

"You're not interested in it?"

"Well, this is the first time we're having a dance. Are you sure that the dance is 100% taking place?" Cornelia questioned her. She knew that Elyon would leave out small but very important details like this. Sheffield Institute had never organised a dance before, and so Cornelia seemed pessimistic about the idea.

Elyon stayed quiet and looked at the ground. She mumbled something, but then looked up to Cornelia to confess what really happened. "Well, it's not exactly...certain. But everyone seemed to like the idea. We'll find out in a few days. Eek! I am so excited!" she grabbed Cornelia by her arms and started dancing around the room. They laughed and messed around for a very long time, until they realised that they hadn't started the project.

A few hours passed and Cornelia and Elyon were almost halfway through the project. They had started a model of the human heart – showing the different blood vessels that carry blood to and from it. Finally, they both decided to stop working and then crashed on Elyon's bed. She turned on the radio next to her bed, and they both closed their eyes while listening to some music. A familiar song came on and Cornelia started singing along with it:

**If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
been here all along,**

**so why can't you see?  
You belong with me.**

Standing by and waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know?  
Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me have you ever thought just maybe you belong with me, you belong with me

The song ended and Cornelia sighed. Elyon looked over at her and gasped in delight.

"I know that look..." she grinned at Cornelia who acted innocent.

"What look?"

"You like someone!" she whispered in delight and smiled, revealing her white teeth.

"Ugh, Elyon. Give it a rest. It's just a song." Cornelia turned on her other side, away from Elyon, and closed her eyes as a classical song came on the radio.

A few minutes had passed and they lay in silence. Cornelia moaned and finally sat up on the bed. Elyon did the same.

"Well, I better be off. Mom's making dinner tonight." Cornelia stifled a yawn and stood up, stretching her arms out.

"I'll get my Dad to drop you home if you like" Elyon suggested

Cornelia shook her head "No it's fine. A walk will keep me awake for a little while."

She hugged her friend and then made her way to the front door. She waved at Mrs Brown and then stepped out of the house. She walked a block away from the house when she noticed two familiar faces headed towards her. She froze, but then hesitantly started walking.

"Hey Beautiful." Matt was walking alongside Caleb and he grinned at the blonde. She rolled her eyes at him and they stopped to meet each other. Cornelia knew that Matt had a funny habit of flirting with every single girl in her grade, so she didn't take it too seriously. Caleb, on the other hand, had no idea and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Hey Cornelia" he finally spoke up and she let out a small smile.

"Hi" there was silence between the three of them, until Matt finally spoke up.

"Corny, is it true that there's a dance coming up?" he looked at Cornelia quizzically, and Caleb glanced at her. She noticed that he was gazing into her eyes after, which made her blush.

She finally replied to Matt "Oh, I don't know...Elyon mentioned something but I wasn't really paying attention..." she shook her head and tried to find interest at her feet on the ground. Matt also shook his head and patted Caleb on the back.

"Sorry guys, I got to go. Family meeting." He rolled his eyes which made Cornelia giggle, and he jogged towards the direction which Cornelia had just left from. Caleb and Cornelia stood awkwardly until he offered to walk her home.

"It's fine...and besides...who knows how long you'll be walking me home until you expect something more." She joked, and he chuckled. She ruffled his hair mockingly and they continued walking.

"Wow, you're in a great mood today. I'm not that surprised, because I have that effect on people" Cornelia giggled at his sense of humour and shook her head.

"Yeah, it seems strange. I don't know." There was silence between them until she finally spoke up.

"So...have you started on your science project?"

"Um...kind of...I suppose..."

"You haven't got any idea, have you?"

"Nope, not a clue."

She laughed loudly and a smile crept on her face. She felt a lot more comfortable around Caleb, and felt that they were forming a friendship she never imagined.

"So, are you still on for our quest into the wonderful world of Math?" he asked, grinning.

"Wonderful? I would probably call it distressing, agonizing, excruciating, painful, and intimidating. But, wonderful? Not exactly my choice of words." She finally finished her long sentence, and Caleb looked amused and sniggered at her.

"What?" she asked, looking as innocent as ever. She purposefully pouted her lips and widened her eyes. They stopped walking, and he gazed into her eyes once more. The world stopped around them, until Cornelia finally shook her head, grinning, and started to walk ahead. Caleb ran towards her and slowed down once they were at the same pace.

"I'll be there. Monday." She stated, without realising Caleb's expression turn from bland to relief.

"Great. So...I was wondering...if you weren't doing-" he was cut off by Cornelia's cell phone ringing, that he stopped mid sentence.

"Hold on..." she looked down and fumbled with her phone, before answering it.

"Hello?" a voice she never imagined to hear ever again, replied on the other end.

"Uh...Peter." she looked up at Caleb and turned the other way, wishing that he couldn't see the look of hurt and resentment on her face. The silence was great, as the street was empty, and so Caleb was capable of hearing every word that Peter spoke.

"Babe, I didn't mean it. She came on to me! I couldn't face calling you befo-"

"That's great, Peter. I have to go." She quickly disconnected the call, before he could say anything, and she continued walking ahead – with an expressionless look on her face.

Caleb stayed silent for a while, before he could take it any longer.

"If you don't mind me asking..." he looked into her eyes, and kept a steady impression on his face. "Who...was that?"

Cornelia bit her lip before keeping her gaze on the ground. She didn't want Caleb to know about Peter – he'll most likely feel sorry for her, which was the last thing she wanted.

"It's nothing. Just...some g-guy I was with b-before." She stuttered, but tried to keep her cool.

"Why did you break up?" he asked cautiously

"Is it important?" she asked defensively, and Caleb realised he had asked too much.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." They stayed quiet for a few minutes until Caleb realised the tear that was falling down Cornelia's face. She had her head down, meaning that her hair covered most of her face. However the moonlight glowed on her, revealing damp streaks down her cheeks. He was stunned at how silently she could cry, but most importantly, how she never asked for any comfort or looked for any attention.

"Cornelia..." he stopped and held her shoulders, making her turn to face him. Her gaze stayed down, but he lifted her chin up with his thumb. Her teary eyes looked into his and he wiped them away from her cheek, before pulling her in for a hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes, before realising that they were standing outside her house. She rested her head on his chest, her arms wrapped around his back. Caleb stroked her hair and rubbed her back reassuringly.

They both had no idea that a very confused looking Mrs Hale was watching them from her bedroom window. She smiled at them before drawing the curtain back – blocking out the moonlight.

**Hope you all liked this chapter! I wanted to make it long so it would stop you all from waiting!**

**Comment and review if you want to, and feel free to leave any suggestions! The next few chapters will be...intense. **


	6. Chapter 6: Enchanted

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. I will only put a few lyrics in each chapter, because it'll just waste my time if I put them all. Enjoy!**

Chapter 6: Enchanted

The following Wednesday, there was a school assembly. Cornelia had no idea what it was about, and neither did the rest of the year group. They filed down into the auditorium and took their seats. Cornelia sat at the back and watched as the student council all stood on the stage. She caught sight of Elyon, who had a bubbly smile. She was trying so hard not to jump around in joy, and Cornelia shook her head while chuckling by herself. After a few minutes, everyone was seated and the assembly began.

"Um, hi everyone." Marcus – head of student council spoke up. He fixed his tie into place and swallowed hard, and Cornelia rolled her eyes at the nervous wreck. "Ok, um I'm going to hand the assembly over to the rest of the student council. They have an important message to share." He walked to the side of the stage, as hushed whispers were taking over the audience. Elyon moved forward and spoke up loudly, causing a silence.

"Ok, everyone we have an announcement. You all might not know, but there is a dance taking place. We're not sure when, but it won't be so soon. We decided it was time for you guys to actually enjoy something we come up with." There were sniggers in the audience and Cornelia smiled at her crazy friend. "We have raised enough money from the school, and so this will be a great chance for everyone to have fun."

Elyon stepped to the side, and let the others conclude the assembly with rules, etc. She caught sight of Cornelia at the back and winked at her. The assembly finished after five minutes, and the school was out of the hall in no time.

Cornelia waited for Elyon outside the doors of the hall, and they both started walking together to their first lesson – ICT. They both loved it, because it meant they could email each other and mess around in class – the teacher was a push over.

They were working on a project in class, when Elyon spun Cornelia around on the chair to face her. She screamed and there were giggles in the class. Cornelia covered her face with her hair and frowned at Elyon. Elyon chuckled and punched her arm playfully.

"How about we go and get some ice cream after school?" Elyon suggested

Cornelia was about to accept when she remembered the math date she had with Caleb. She didn't want to tell Elyon about Caleb being her tutor. "Sorry but I have to go to my tutor." She rolled her eyes. "Math stuff."

"Cool. So...who's your tutor? Is it a guy? Is he cute?"

"Whoa, slow down tiger. And no...It's not a guy. It's a girl." She cringed at what she had just said. _Note to self: take a little bit longer to think about what I'm saying. _

"Oh. What's her name?"

Cornelia had to think on her feet, so she said the first name that came to her head.

"Alice."

"Cool..." Elyon turned around and returned to her computer.

_Thank god. _

A few weeks had passed, and Cornelia made her way to the school restroom before leaving to see Caleb. She looked in the mirror and tied up her hair in a ponytail. She washed her hands and left to leave the school, when she saw Alice from a distance. She ran up to her and smiled.

"Hey. I'm headed off at your place to study with Caleb. Are you coming?"

Alice shook her head. "No, I've got detention."

"Aw, poor baby has to leave for prison!" joked Cornelia. Alice stuck out her tongue before sprinting up into the school building. Cornelia smiled and headed to Caleb's house.

When she got there, Alice's mom opened the door and smiled.

"Hi, Cornelia. Come on in. Alice is still in school but you could still wait for her." She smiled, and Cornelia shook her head.

"Actually, I'm here to see Caleb. He's helping me with my math."

"Oh, he didn't tell me. I'll go see if he-" she was cut off by Caleb, who walked down the stairs.

"Don't worry, mom. We'll go up to my room to study." Cornelia followed him up the stairs and they headed to his room. She fell on the chair, and sighed overdramatically. Caleb turned to her with a grin. "What's up, Blondie?"

"Don't call me that, nerdy guy." She smiled at him innocently and took out her book.

Caleb saw the book and fell on his bed in exhaustion. He moaned with his hands covering his face. "I'm too tired to work today." He yawned and stretched his arms wide. She scoffed and turned to face him, with a confused look on her face.

"Then why did you call me, bozo?" he smiled at her and laughed.

"I don't know...I thought we could take a break from Math for just one day." He stood next to her and pulled her up. She opened her mouth in disbelief and shook her head.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Caleb? I have a test in a month or so and you're thinking of-"

He cut her off by placing his hand in front of her mouth, and she stared at him. They smelled of lavender, surprisingly, and Cornelia moved it away with her hands.

"Are you drunk or high...?"

He chuckled at her and dragged her out of the room by pulling her arm. They walked up the stairs, Cornelia feeling very confused, and Caleb running as fast as he could. He let o of her before running, and she paused before tiptoeing after him.

"C-Caleb?" she whispered, while following his shadow up the stairs. She finally reached the top, and stepped onto the rooftop. The view was beautiful – the entire city could be seen from the top. She gasped and walked towards where Caleb stood overlooking the city. Her heels made a loud noise while she stood next to him, smiling at the view.

"It's so beautiful!" she felt wonderstruck. She closed her eyes, with her hands on the balcony and breathed in the smell of fresh air. Caleb glanced at her and smiled. He turned back to the city and saw a billboard with a picture of a couple dancing. He faced to see Cornelia who was now leaning down and looking at all the pretty lights. They heard a beautiful song playing in the distance, with lights flashing around in the sky. It seemed like a dance was taking place.

**Your eyes whispered, "Have we met?"  
Across the room your silhouette  
Starts to make its way to me  
The playful conversation starts  
Counter all your quick remarks  
Like passing notes in secrecy**  
**  
And it was enchanting to meet you  
All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you**

Suddenly, he grabbed her arms and started dancing around the roof top.

"Caleb! What are you doing!" she giggled, but let him glide her along the platform. They both laughed and danced for a few minutes.

**This night is sparkling, don't you let it go  
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home  
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew  
I was enchanted to meet you**

"Having fun!" he replied to her, while chuckling. She tilted her head back, while cracking up. She almost fell over, but he caught her by the waist. They danced all the way to the other side of the roof top, and then sat down on the edge of the balcony. He gazed at her, grinning and she did the same.

"Wow, that was unexpected." She giggled, while pulling a strand of her behind her ear. "I never knew you were such a beautiful dancer, Caleb!" she teased him, and hit her arm playfully.

He blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"You know, your hair really fits in with the combination of this whole feminine thing you've got going on!" she mocked and laughed uncontrollably, causing him to frown at her.

"I am not feminine! I am the manliest man that ever walked this earth, Corny!" he teased back and grinned at her in victory. She playfully frowned at him and replied back.

"But you can't prove it so I think my eyes can judge."

He jolted up and lifted Cornelia up into the sky by her waist. She let out a gasp of surprise, before spreading out her arms. She chuckled and looked down to see Caleb grinning. She held onto his shoulders and they both stared at each other for a long time, before he let her down. They continued to gaze into each other's eyes, and stood holding onto each other. Neither of them knew what they felt about each other, but one thing was for sure – neither of them wanted to let go.

Just then, they both heard Caleb's mother walking up the staircase and calling Caleb. She stopped talking and stood still – watching them both holding onto each other. Caleb and Cornelia forgot they were clutching each other and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt or..." her voice trailed off. They both realised that they were so close and suddenly let go of each other. Caleb rubbed his sleeve while looking off into the distance and Cornelia looked down while fiddling with her feet. Neither of them spoke. They were both blushing and felt nervous

Caleb's mom smiled at them. "I've made you some snacks. I'll just leave them here..." she placed a tray of grapes, sandwiches and glasses of drinks on a table at the front of the balcony, and left.

Cornelia and Caleb glanced at each other before walking off to eat. Cornelia sat on the edge of the balcony, and Caleb stood a few feet away from. They both looked out at the view, the sky was darker than before and the city lights brought everything to life. Cornelia munched on a sandwich while Caleb drank some juice.

They sat in silence until Cornelia felt something hit her on the head. She turned to see Caleb grinning at her with a grape in his hand. She rolled her eyes, and threw one back at him. They ended up having a food fight, mostly with the fruit. Cornelia sniggered out of control and fell on the floor giggling. Caleb rolled his eyes at her, and held her hand to help her up.

She smiled at him. "This was fun."

"Yeah...do you want to come over tomorrow?" she noticed the gleam in his eyes as he offered, which made her blush. She looked down and started playing with her dress top.

"Sorry, but unless actually studying is on the list, I think I'll pass." She looked up at him and stuck her tongue out.

He frowned jokingly and replied "Don't worry, Blondie. Everything will be up to your standards."

"Why, thank you. I expect nothing less." She mocked him and they both left the rooftop. "It's kind of late. I'll walk you home." He smiled at her and she waved bye to his mom.

They walked in silence to her house. She stood outside her doorway with Caleb and looked up at him. "Thanks."

"No problem." He smiled back at her and ran his fingers through his hair, nervously. "So, Cornelia...I wanted to ask you something..."

She looked up at him quizzically. "Sure. What's up?"

"Well...the dance is coming up and..." his voice trailed off and he looked down. He kicked the floor with his feet, with his hands behind his back.

He finally looked up at her, and they both gazed at each other.

"Well, I mean it's not just the dance, actually. I mean I can't stop thinking about it and I just want to ask you..."

"Caleb, get to your point." She teased him, looking up with her beautiful sapphire eyes.

He stayed quiet for a long time, and looked down. She sighed and was about to turn around when he finally spoke up, leaving her frozen on the same spot.

"Will...will you go out with me?"

**Cliff-hanger! Hahaha! I'm so evil!**

**Hope you all liked this chapter! I wanted to make it long so it would stop you all from waiting!**


	7. Chapter 7: Sparks Fly

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. I will only put a few lyrics in each chapter, because it'll just waste my time if I put them all. Enjoy!**

Chapter 7: Sparks Fly

She stared at him, in disbelief and struggled to form a sentence. It started to rain slowly, and before she could finish, it fell more and more heavily. The noise was piercing.

"I...I mean I didn't know that...what you said..."

**And you stood there in front of me just  
close enough to touch...**

Caleb shook his head. He wanted to be alone. He somehow felt that Cornelia would say no, or nothing at all. "It doesn't matter...I have to be somewhere." He turned around and walked a few steps, leaving Cornelia speechless and unable to stop him. He looked out of the porch and saw the rain pouring down. He shook his head and walked into the rain. Cornelia stood still for a few seconds, before she felt the urge to do something. Something neither of them would have imagined.

"Caleb! Wait!" she yelled, before running towards him. He turned around and was about to reply when he felt a pair of lips on his. She kissed him softly on his lips and her hands made their way to his hair and around his neck. He held her around the waist – neither of them wanting to let go. They stood in the rain, kissing, until they let go for air. Caleb smiled at her and she looked up at the rain – pouring down on them.

**Drop everything now  
Meet me in the pouring rain  
Kiss me on the sidewalk  
Take away the pain  
'Cause I see, sparks fly, whenever you smile**

"I'll take that as a yes?" he whispered in her ear, and she nodded, giggling. They gazed into each other's eyes, and Caleb stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

They kissed once more, cherishing every moment.

**Get me with those green eyes, baby  
As the lights go down  
Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around  
'Cause I see, sparks fly, whenever you smile**

They pulled apart, and Caleb led Cornelia to her door once more. She grinned at their soaking clothes, and he kissed her on the cheek – longer and softer than the last time he kissed her on the cheek. He lifted her hand and squeezed it, before leaving her. She sighed, as Caleb ran through the rain and made his way to his house.

She closed the door behind her, unable to forget the very first kiss between her and Caleb. Smiling uncontrollably, she trudged up to her room and collapsed on her bed – still soaking, rewinding the moment they had just encountered.

Caleb was walking home in the rain – his clothes dragged underneath him – but his heart was flying in the air. He couldn't stop smiling at what had just happened, and ran his fingers through his wet hair. _I...I can't believe that just happened. I can't stop thinking about her..._

He arrived at his house, and slammed the door shut. Running up to his room, he crashed on his bed and looked up at the ceiling.

They both fell asleep – still soaking wet and unable to wash away one of the best moments's they had together.

The next day, Cornelia walked to school quite early and found Elyon sitting in the library reading a book.

"Wow, you seem awfully happy today." Elyon said, without looking up. Cornelia chuckled and sighed dreamily.

"I...Caleb...We...Kissed." Cornelia replied slowly, whispering, and blushed. She smiled at Elyon, whose jaw dropped open. Elyon grinned and hugged her friend.

"Ah! You guys make such a-"

The librarian heard Elyon accidentally yell, and so did most of Heatherfield, and she frowned at her. "Shh! Girls!" Elyon and Cornelia got up to leave and as soon as they closed the door behind them, Elyon jumped up and down. Cornelia only rolled her eyes and continued to walk with her around the school. They were early, and so had time to just talk and hang out for a while.

"You guys are amazing together! OMG!"

"Elyon...calm down."

"Sorry" Cornelia laughed at her and they continued walking. Elyon roamed on about how she knew they would end up together one day, and Cornelia only nodded. She paid less attention to everything around her, except when she noticed a familiar head of brown hair. She froze and couldn't stop gawping at him. Caleb.

He noticed her and smiled, making his way closer. Elyon realised and decided to walk with Alchemy, who was passing by. Cornelia waved at her before making her way to Caleb.

"Hi." She looked down at her shoes and Caleb grinned at her.

"Hey. You look...beautiful." Cornelia blushed and looked down at her dark blue dress. It made her look like a princess, and she looked into Caleb's eyes before embracing each other. They broke away from the hug and he kissed her softly on the cheek. She held onto his shoulders, until the bell signalled the start of the school day. He sighed and held her hand, while dropping her off to her class. The rest of the day went slowly for Cornelia, without Caleb by her side.

Finally, final period ended and Cornelia sighed with relief while heading out of the class. She felt her phone buzzing in her bag, and took it out. It was Caleb.

"Hey, gorgeous."

She giggled at him.

"Can you come over to my place?"

"I'd like that, but I just need to go to the library. I'll be there in half an hour, ok?"

"Sure. See you."

She blushed and turned off her phone, and headed to the library to finish some work.

She finally reached Caleb's house, and before she could knock on the door, she felt arms around her. She laughed and turned around, to be face to face with Caleb.

"Hey." He kissed her softly, before unlocking the door and leading her to the balcony. They held hands and looked over the view. Caleb had his arms wrapped around her and his head on her shoulder. Cornelia stood in front of him and smiled to herself. _This feels perfect..._she thought.

"So, can I take you out somewhere?" he grinned at her, while caressing her soft cheeks.

She grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "That depends..." she let go of him and crossed her arms. "...If you're worthy enough."

He jokingly pouted and she couldn't resist his arms being around her, so she hugged him tightly.

"Ok, but where to?"

"Leave that to me. I'll come pick you up around 7 tomorrow. Alright?" he bent down to kiss her and she giggled, while being taken away by his lips.

Everything felt great, but Cornelia held some doubt. She couldn't help think about what Caleb had called her the last time they fought – an obnoxious girl.

"Caleb?" she looked up at him and he smiled at her sweetly.

"Did you...really mean it when..." she looked down and he moved closer to see her. "When you called me...obnoxious?"

He was surprised and felt shocked. Caleb felt guilty that he made Cornelia feel bad and he hugged her. "I'm sorry if I ever upset you. I just tried to make something up to make you mad. I'm sorry."

Cornelia looked up at him before replying. "You already said that." She joked, and kissed him on the cheek. He grinned and spun her around. Cornelia winked at him before making her way back to his room. She passed Alice on the way and smiled at her.

"Hey! What's up?"

"Homework." Alice groaned and pulled her school bag along with her into her room. Cornelia giggled and sat in Caleb's room. She yawned and leaned against the pillow on the wall. Closing her eyes, she didn't realise that Caleb had snuggled up next to her. He cushioned her neck with his arm, and placed his other one under her waist. Cornelia smiled and before she knew it, both of them fell asleep.

She woke up an hour later, to find them in the exact same position. She gasped, realising that it was getting late. "Caleb!" she whispered in his ear, but he only moaned and held her tighter. Cornelia blushed and moved Caleb's hand away from her, so she could get up. "Cornelia...Shh...Let me sleep..." he whimpered half asleep, much to Cornelia's amusement. She giggled, and sat up. She turned to face Caleb, who still had his eyes closed, and she played with his hair. It was soft, and bounced off her fingers. He smiled with his eyes closed, and she kissed him on the cheek, before leaving his room and closing the door behind her. After staying in Alice's room for a few minutes, Cornelia made her way to her house. The day turned out exactly the way she wanted.

**OMG! THEY KISSED! IN THE RAIN! Ok, so the "fairytale" part kind of ends here, because the next few chapters will show A LOT of heartbreak. Be prepared...**


	8. Chapter 8: Count on me

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. I will only put a few lyrics in each chapter, because it'll just waste my time if I put them all. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8: Count on me

A few days later, Cornelia lay in her bed one Sunday morning, feeling uneasy, about the previous day.

"_Cornelia, Lillian! Can you come in our room for a few minutes?" Her mother's voice shot across the house and Cornelia slowly made her way inside and sat on the bed. Both her parents sat down with nervous looks on their faces. A few seconds later, Lillian entered the room – yawning and rubbing her eyes to stay awake. She carried her toy bunny and sat next to Cornelia. There was silence among them until her mother looked at her father and he finally spoke._

"_Girls, I know this is quite surprising to you but there is no easy way to say this..." he turned to his wife who finished his sentence._

"_We're moving...out of town." _

_Cornelia gasped and Lillian's eyes widened. Neither of them wanted to leave Heatherfield – it was their home. There was a longer silence until Cornelia was finally able to form a sentence._

"_You're kidding, right?" Cornelia tried to find a way out of it, but her mother shook her head._

"_No, Cornelia, we think it's for your own benefit." She turned to face both of them as she spoke more. "For both of you"._

"_For our benefit? You probably got a better job and so decided to move out FOR YOURSELF!" Cornelia stood up and attacked her mother with every thought that came into her head. "You don't care about anyone but yourself!" She turned to her father and glared at him. "Well, even if we are moving, that doesn't mean I still love you. You've ruined my life! Heatherfield is my home, and if I'm not allowed to stay in my home, then...what else do I have left?" she whispered the last part and looked up at the ceiling, trying to avoid her tears falling out._

"_First you make us move, and now you don't even let me finish a sentence! You're taking me away from all the people I love and-"_

"_Like that good for nothing boyfriend of yours-"_

_Cornelia's mouth dropped open. "How-?"_

"_He's probably the one who made you say all of this! That boy has no respect and-"_

"_Don't talk about Caleb like that! Him and Elyon are the only two people on earth that understand me! Not even my own mother understands me." Cornelia took a few steps back, before running back to her room._

_She slammed her body on her bed, as the tears were streaming right down her face. _

_I can't believe this is happening...as soon as I meet Elyon and...Caleb._

_Her thoughts wandered off to the green eyes that would make her so weak, and she lay still on her bed – sobbing and half asleep._

She sighed and looked at the clock. It was almost 1:00pm. She got out of bed and looked in the mirror. Dried tear stains were coating her face and she stared at her reflection – unable to show any more emotions. Cornelia walked over and fixed her bed, and heard her phone ringing. She found it in a jacket pocket and saw who it was. Caleb. She couldn't deal with this right now, so she turned her phone off before walking downstairs. There was a note on the kitchen fridge:

_Cornelia, your father and I are out on a business meeting. Look after Lil, alright? Love you._

_-Mom_

Cornelia sighed and ripped up the note into tiny pieces on the floor, before going to check on her sister. Lillian was on her bed, sitting with her dolls and having a tea party with them. She was still in her pyjamas and Cornelia smiled at her.

"Hey, Lillian. Can I join you?" Cornelia walked over to her but Lillian turned the other way.

"No!"

"What? Why?" Cornelia felt guilty for being rude to her sister, and sat next to her on the bed.

"Because, we're moving because of YOU!"

"What?" Cornelia's jaw dropped open and her eyed widened.

"Lillian, don't you see? I don't want to go either! Everything for me is here...I don't want to lose it."

**You'll always have my shoulder when you cry  
I'll never let go  
Never say goodbye  
You know  
You can count on me like 1 2 3  
I'll be there  
And I know when I need it I can count on you like 4 3 2  
And you'll be there  
Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah**

Cornelia whispered the last part and embraced Lillian. She was surprised, but neither of them let go for a while. Once they let go, Cornelia smiled at her sister, who had a watery grin.

"Hey..." Cornelia turned to face her sister. "Even if we do move...you're still my sister. That's more than enough." She kissed Lillian's forehead before walking out the door. She breathed shakily before calling Lillian. "Breakfast will be done in a few minutes!"

**You can count on me like 1 2 3  
I'll be there  
And I know when I need it I can count on you like 4 3 2  
And you'll be there  
Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah**

Cornelia walked into her room to get her slippers, and saw her phone lying on her bed. She had 5 missed calls from Caleb. She picked up the phone, but after a few seconds, dropped it on her bed again. _I can't tell him...he'll hate me..._

**I'm sorry for the short chapter! But it's made me come to a decision – I'm planning to do a sequel! It'll be even crazier than this one! What do you guys think?**


	9. Chapter 9: Breathe

**Story Name: United Hearts**

**Plot: Cornelia is an ordinary school girl. Caleb has recently transferred to Sheffield Institute and all the girls are falling for him. Will fate make their worlds collide, and will they form an unlikely relationship in the process?**

**Note: All chapter names are song names, and I'll try to make them fit a certain event in each chapter. **

**Before you start, I want to say that this is the LAST CHAPTER! I've loved writing this first story, and the second one will be even better.**

Chapter 9: Breathe

Cornelia was alone in the park – thinking about what had just happened. Her sister was having a sleepover in a friend's house, and so Cornelia was all alone. She took a short walk before sitting down. She looked down at her phone – 9 missed calls from Caleb. She sighed and looked up at the view. She stood up and held her arms close and saw Caleb – walking towards her. He ran up to her and took her in an embrace.

"Cornelia! Is everything alright? You weren't answering my calls and I thought that..." he looked at her and she just nodded her head and walked the other way. Her face was expressionless. Caleb felt stunned and ran up to her side. "Did I do something wrong? If I did, I'm really sorry I didn't mean to..." he shook his head and looked down, feeling guilty.

Cornelia saw the look on his face and quickly shook her head. _He's apologizing for something he hasn't even done...I can't stand this._

She finally spoke up, but her voice was weak and shaky. "Caleb...I'm..."

"What is it, Cornelia? You know, you can tell me anything." He held her hand and stroked her fingers, lovingly.

"I...I don't think this is a good idea." She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms. She felt her eyes tearing up.

Caleb tilted his head in confusion. _What's going on? _

"What isn't a good-?" his voice was soft, but she couldn't take it any longer, so she cut him off.

"THIS! US!" She circled her hands and avoided his gaze. Caleb felt taken back by her bitter voice. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak – but nothing came out. He tried to hold her, to comfort her, make her see that she wasn't making any sense but...it was no use.

"Caleb...I...want us to...break up." She whispered, before turning to see him. He looked into her eyes before finally letting his emotions out.

"Cornelia, you haven't realised how much-"

"We won't last, Caleb! Don't you see...we're not meant to be together."

She was about to continue when Caleb couldn't take it anymore. He ran as fast as he could, wherever his legs were taking him. He didn't think – just ran.

_What did I do wrong? I...I can't believe it. We've only been together for a few months and I...Why am I crying? Cornelia, what did I do? I was going to tell her I love her and...this is what happens._

He stopped at a corner of an unknown road and leaned against the wall – tears streaming down his face. _I'm so stupid...how could I think that...a girl like her would...fall in love with a guy like me? I can't believe I fell in love with her. I was arrogant, complicated, irrational...she changed me. I can't believe Cornelia has changed me..._

Meanwhile, Cornelia walked home with tears in her eyes. _Moving, my mom, school...How could it all come in between me and Caleb? _

_I can't believe that I might never see him again...What went wrong? I guess...it was never meant to be._

**I see your face in my mind as I drive away,  
Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way.  
People are people,  
And sometimes we change our minds.  
But it's killing me to see you go after all this time.**

Mmm mmm mmm  
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm  
Mmm mmm mmm  
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm

Music starts playin' like the end of a sad movie,  
It's the kinda ending you don't really wanna see.  
Cause it's tragedy and it'll only bring you down,  
Now I don't know what to be without you around.

And we know it's never simple,  
Never easy.  
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.  
You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand,  
And I can't,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to.

Never wanted this, never wanna see you hurt.  
Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve.  
But people are people,  
And sometimes it doesn't work out,  
Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out.

And we know it's never simple,  
Never easy.  
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.  
You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand,  
And I can't,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to.

It's two a.m.  
Feelin' like I just lost a friend.  
Hope you know it's not easy,  
Easy for me.  
It's two a.m.  
Feelin' like I just lost a friend.  
Hope you know this ain't easy,  
Easy for me.

And we know it's never simple,  
Never easy.  
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.

Ohhh

I can't,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to.

Sorry (oh) Sorry (mmm)  
Sorry (eh eh) Sorry (mmm)  
Sorry, Sorry (mmm)  
Sorry

A few weeks had passed, and the only time Cornelia and Caleb saw each other was in school. They spent most of their time on their own – Cornelia distanced herself from Elyon, and Caleb spent most of his time alone listening to music. Neither of them spoke to each other.

Cornelia's math exam came up and she just managed to get an A. Her parents, teacher and friends were proud of her – but she didn't care. Caleb had helped her, and without him, she wouldn't have been able to even open the test paper.

The dance was announced a few days before it took place, and Elyon and Cornelia were finally close again. She somehow persuaded Cornelia to go with her so they could hang out. She finally felt a little bit happier since the break up and got ready for the dance. She wore a knee-length red dress with red high heels and her blonde hair was out in curls. She wore little makeup and her red lips stood out among her facial features. Elyon wore a knee-length purple dress with her hair in a high ponytail. They both looked amazing and entered the dance hall.

As soon as they entered, Alex came up to them and hugged them both. Cornelia was surprised but Alex had always been a great friend, so she enjoyed the hug.

"You girls look amazing!"

"Thanks" they replied in unison, but Cornelia whispered her thank you quieter. Elyon went to dance with Alex, and Cornelia tried to look like she was having fun. She went to get some punch, when she felt a hand reach for a cup at the same time.

"Sorry" they both said in unison and looked into each other's eyes. Caleb.

Cornelia turned around and was about to walk away when she felt Caleb's arm around her shoulder. She closed her eyes and tears sprung down her cheeks. He led her outside into the fresh air and dried her tears.

"Its alrig-" he tried to hug her but she stepped back.

"No, Caleb! It's not! You can't do anything!" Cornelia threw her hands in the air in frustration.

"But I want to! I want to help you!"

"Caleb, we broke up a long time ago!" she turned around, and Caleb held onto her wrist.

"Cornelia, I-"

"Ok, why can't you just drop this? Why won't you leave me alone?" she turned around to face him and he screamed in reply.

"Because, I love you!"

There was a silence in between them, and the music from inside the dance mocked them. They stood there – gazing into each other's eyes.

"Wh-"

"I said it! Fine! I love you! I always have, and I always will!" he looked down after realising he had just confessed his love for the blonde. He moved closer and held her hand. This time, she didn't reject it and only stared at him, in disbelief. _Caleb...loves me? I...I can't believe it. I...all this time...he loved me. He still does. _Cornelia felt that she couldn't take it anymore, and so felt that Caleb had to know why she broke up with him. Caleb was wondering the same thing.

"C-Cornelia...Why did you... break up with me? I couldn-"

"Caleb...I'm moving." She whispered and avoided his gaze.

Her words stung him and he only stared at her in shock.

"But...I can still come and see you...can't I?"

"It's...out of town. Possibly out of the country..." her voice trailed off and Caleb saw a tear fall to the ground. He kissed her softly on the lips, until bringing her into an embrace.

"Cornelia, I-"

"Move on, Caleb. Forget me. We might never see each other again." She tried to avoid breaking out into a sob, and stepped further away from Caleb. He let his tears flow, and turned to face her.

"Cornelia, I'll never forget you. Even if I try, I'll-" she cut him off by running up to hug him. They stayed like that for a few minutes before pulling away. They decided that they didn't want to spend any more time in the dance and he walked her home. At her doorstep, they stood next to each other in silence. It would probably be the last time he'd walk her home.

"I...When are you leaving?" he steered his eyes away from her and onto the floor.

"Tomorrow morning"

"Oh." He whispered softly and finally looked at her. She had the same look on her face as he did – full of pain, hurt and suffering. He held her hand and kissed her on the cheek, before embracing her into a long hug. Neither of them let go for a long time, until Cornelia felt like she was going to burst into tears. She let go and ran inside. Caleb tried to stop her, but she slammed the door behind her. He could hear faint sobs from inside the house, and he sat on a bench in her garden.

_I won'tmove on – I can't. Ever. She's the only girl for me, _he thought. He sat on the bench for a few hours, until he saw Cornelia's figure behind the curtain in the window. He looked up to see her looking down into the garden. She couldn't see him because it was too dark. He called her cell phone a few times, until she finally decided to pick it up.

"Look out your window" he told her. She turned to see Caleb climbing a tree and jumping to her terrace. She opened the window and let him kiss her softly. She let the tears fall, and Caleb held her tight. After a few minutes, he took off a necklace around his neck and placed it on her. It was a gold locket. She opened it and read the message inside:

**Love always, Caleb**

She gasped and lay in his arms until she fell asleep. He noticed, and held her close. Caleb placed her on her bed and kissed her again on the lips. She smiled in her sleep and as Caleb whispered to her, a tear slid down her cheek.

"Goodbye, Cornelia. I'll always love you – never forget that."

Caleb sighed and looked back at her once more, before a tear slid down his cheek. He jumped out of the terrace and climbed down the tree, before making his way home.

**Sad ending! You all probably hate me but, the sequel will be full of surprises! **

**Note: I'm not going to start the sequel now, because I don't feel like it. I'll probably start it in a few months. At the moment, I am currently writing a completely different W.I.T.C.H fanfic which will involve all the girls so it will be interesting!**

**Thank you for reading, and keep an eye out for the sequel!**

**A few things about the sequel:**

**-It will involve Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin (but they will be ordinary girls), and possibly Elyon. **

**-It will be set probably 5 years later in the country where Cornelia moved to.**

**-Caleb will receive a job there or will move there somehow**

**That's all I'm saying! Thank you to all the people that read reviewed and even clicked on this story! It's my first story, and I'm sorry if it wasn't as good!**

**Name of the next story I am writing (not the sequel): ****W.I.T.C.H – Remember Me**


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